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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734359">Best In Show</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper'>Theyna_Shipper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Wars One-Shots [36]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, Dogs, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluffy, Friends to Enemies, Pet fic, Rivals, Slightly Nonlinear narrative, Thanksgiving, dog show</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:34:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,648</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben and Rey are rival dog showers determined to give their dogs victory in the National Dog Show this Thanksgiving. But they haven't always been rivals.</p><p>Or, how through their dogs, Ben and Rey fall in and out of friendship and love. </p><p>(I'm bad at summaries but the fic is cute. Dog Show!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Wars One-Shots [36]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Best In Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I watched the Thanksgiving dog show, wrote this, and published it in a wild fever dream. It's barely edited. Please enjoy.</p><p>Disclaimer: I know nothing about showing dogs. I googled some cursory information. I hope it is readable. If you do show dogs, I apologize for the inaccuracies.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“Aww, what a cutie,” Rey coos. “Is she the only one you’re showing today, or are you doing more?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“No, I’m also showing a Golden Retriever in the working group,” he says happily. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Is your Ben treating you well, huh? Yes? He gives you lots of cuddles? Hmm?” She scratches gently behind the Tibetan Spaniel’s ears. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>The Italian greyhound with Rey nuzzles her leg as if to say, <i>Hey! Pay attention to me too!</i> </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Yes, you’re a sweet girl too,” she sighs. “Look, it’s our friend, Ben. Say hello, hm?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Just then, a voice calls over the intercom telling all dogs to go to their breed groups for the best in breed. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“See you in the ring!” Rey calls. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“See you!”</i>
</p>
<hr/><p>Rey momentarily makes eye contact with Ben backstage, and sharply looks away. He doesn’t need to ruin this day, the biggest day of her career, by taking up her mental real estate. Dio has all her attention today, the sleek greyhound proudly strutting by her side. </p><p>And maybe it’s not the <i>International Dog Show,</i> but she’s made it pretty damn far to the National Dog Show, to get to show her pretty little Dio to the whole whole world. </p><p>The Italian Greyhounds have been Rey’s favorite since she was a little kid, and while she’s shown other breeds, this one has always been her favorite. </p><p>Ben, she sees, seems to be sticking to the Tibetan spaniels. </p><p>And now he’s walking up to her with his dog, Beebee (the ninth?She’s from some sort of extended lineage), and she kneels to focus on her dog. </p><p>“Rey.”</p><p>“Ben.” </p><p>“This is Dio, then?”</p><p>“Yes.” she replies icily. “We’re missing Artie, of course, but she’s cheering us on from home,” she adds, a hint of spite in her voice. </p><p>Ben swallows, discomfort clear in his face. “I’ll see you in the ring, then?”</p><p>“See you.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <i>Rey showed her first dog when she was ten. Ben showed his first when he was fifteen. An Italian Greyhound and a Tibetan Spaniel, of course. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Everyone always thought it should go the other way around, that their personalities went with the wrong dogs. But Rey thought it worked. Rey had a dog who just liked relaxing with her, and Ben had a dog who gave lots of love. To them, it was perfect. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>They met in the line outside. It was a tiny local show at a county fair, dozens of other kids lined up outside with dogs in their arms. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I”ve never seen a Tibetan spaniel before,” Rey remarks. She memorized her book of dog breeds, and has tried to find each one ‘in the wild’, like a birdwatcher. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“They’re not very popular,” he replies sadly. “Too much energy for most people, I guess.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Rey nods wisely. “I’m Rey, and this is Kira,” she says. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I’m Ben. And this is BeeBee the Seventh.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Rey giggles. “Sounds like a queen.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Oh, she is.”</i>
</p>
<hr/><p>“To the mark and back, please.”</p><p>Rey effortlessly trots Dio around the stage before bringing her back. She sees Ben standing, waiting for the non-sporting group and watching her from backstage. She feels oddly self-conscious, and returns her attention to Dio. </p><p>“Good girl,” she croons. “Good girl.”</p><p>“She looks very nice,” the judge says. “Back in line, please.”</p><p>Feeling nervous but satisfied with herself, she takes Dio back in line and gives her a treat. Yes, you’re very good, aren’t you?”</p><p>She feels Ben’s eyes on her back, but shakes it off. </p><p>“You’re a very good girl,” she repeats to Dio.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <i>They ran into each other again and again at local shows, as they got older and they kept showing their dogs, and some new dogs. Ben got licensed for dog training when he was twenty-two and Rey was seventeen. Rey got herself licensed when she was twenty-one and Ben was twenty-six. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>They moved in together when she was twenty-two, because they were always going to the same shows anyways. </i>
</p><p><i>And then they moved apart when he was twenty-eight, because they had</i> clients <i>now, all great and fancy as they were, and they needed to be closer to their different clients, but they still ran into each other all the time. </i></p><p>
  <i>“See you in the ring,” Ben says to her and her whippet. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“See you,” Rey agrees.</i>
</p>
<hr/><p>“And the winner of the toy group is… the Italian greyhound!” </p><p>Rey happily brings her Dio up to collect the ribbon and be given instructions to wait backstage until the Best In Show portion. </p><p>She walks back to the backstage area, and passes Ben as she does. </p><p>“Congratulations,” he tells her coolly. </p><p>“Thank you,” she replies. “I’ll see you in the ring?” It’s both a congratulation and a threat. He and his dog might win their round, but they will <i>not</i> take her medal. </p><p>“See you.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <i>Rey couldn’t rank her dogs, but Artie has more medals than any of her others. Her first litter of puppies have all left home now, all but Dio. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>She’s walking Artie side by side with Ben and BeeBee on a cool December day. BeeBee’s still young, barely more than a puppy. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Isn’t her leash a little loose?” Rey worries.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“She’s fine,” Ben replies. “She can have a little freedom.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>It makes her nervous, but she trusts that Ben knows what he’s doing. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Come with me. I want to show you something,” Ben says. He has a teasing smile on his face and his face is red from the cold. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Okay,” Rey says happily. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>He leads her to a small, low bridge, decorated with green garlands for Christmas. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“What’s here to show me?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Nice view of the river?” he suggests. Ben grabs her hands and faces her, his face close. “Rey, I’ve known you for a really long time, and I’ve really enjoyed spending–” he’s cut off with a scream as BeeBee careens off her leash and between the gaps on the bridge.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“BeeBee!” Rey shrieks as the dog falls into the river. It’s not a far fall, but the spaniel’s not exactly known for her swimming. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Then, before either of them can move, Artie slips her leash and dives into the water after BeeBee– drags her onto shore and starts licking her over. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Rey runs down to check on the dogs, and is horrified to see a bloody gash across Artie’s hips.</i>
</p>
<hr/><p>“And the best in non-sporting is… the Tibetan spaniel!”</p><p>Rey applauds politely but coldly. </p><p>It used to be, when her and Ben would compete, there was no bitterness when one of their dogs won. That’s just the business. </p><p>Now though, everything is different. This is their first serious show in a long time. And Rey is determined to take home the trophy. </p><p>“See you in the ring,” she hisses as they’re led on.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <i>The next few hours are a blur of getting both dogs to a vet, checked out, and home again. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Artie hit herself against a rock in the river, and broke her hip. She’ll heal, but she’ll never be able to show again. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Once Rey has overcome her worry, she snaps angrily to Ben. “Why couldn’t you keep that dog under control?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“She slipped her leash while she wasn’t looking, Rey, I’m sorry.” </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Well, now Artie’s hurt, and her showing career is over, all because you couldn’t keep her on a leash! Why weren’t you paying attention?” </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I was talking to–”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Whatever you had to say to me couldn’t have been more important than our dogs.” Rey bats away tears. “I can’t believe you, Ben.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>She doesn’t mean for everything to go downhill like that. But then they stop talking, and they go back to showing, and it’s not friendly anymore.</i>
</p>
<hr/><p>They’ve paraded their dogs around the ring. They’ve tensely waited for the judge’s decision. </p><p>“The best in show goes to… The Pembroke Welsh Corgi!”</p><p>The corgi and his handler, a man named Poe that Rey recognizes, walks up eagerly. The crowd cheers. Rey is disappointed, but still happy that Dio did so well. More importantly, she feels a strange sense of <i>relief</i> that it wasn’t her against Ben. That it was just them and their dogs having fun</p><p>Ben walks up to her just as the show is ending, his proud and unaware dog at his heels. </p><p>“Congratulations. You did well.”</p><p>“You did too,” Rey replies. “BeeBee is a good dog.”</p><p>Ben smiles proudly. “She really is.”</p><p>She hesitates a moment, before clasping her hands and telling him: “Ben… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I got so mad at you, that I was too proud to ever apologize, or let you apologize, or anything. We both just want what’s best for our dogs, and I just got… carried away.” She bites her lip. “I want to be friends again… if you want that.”</p><p>“Of course I want that,” he says. “And I’m sorry too. I should’ve come to you sooner, apologized, so many things.”</p><p>“It’s okay now,” she assures him. “It’s been too long.”</p><p>He walks her to her car, but just as she’s about to leave, she remembers something. </p><p>“Ben… what were you going to tell me on the bridge? Before BeeBee fell?”</p><p>“It wasn’t exactly… telling you something.” Ben hesitates. He’s blushing again, except it isn’t that cold this time.</p><p>“Show me, then?”</p><p>“Do you want me to?” And Rey understands what’s coming. </p><p>She nods. “Yeah. I do.”</p><p>“Well…” He leans down and places a delicate kiss to her lips. “Like that?”</p><p>“Yeah. Like that.” </p><p>“Hmm.” He bends down to kiss her again, and they stay like that until their dog’s leashes get tangled and force them to separate. </p><p>Laughing, they disentangle their dogs. </p><p>“You know, I don’t think they’ve been introduced,” Rey realizes. “Dio, this is BeeBee. And Ben.”</p><p>“BeeBee, this is Dio. And Rey.”</p><p>Ben moves to go to his own car, but Rey stops him. “I’ll see you in the ring?”</p><p>He smiles. “Yeah. See you in the ring."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos and comments welcome! And shoutout to my Tibetan spaniel, the breed that never wins anything except my heart. Happy Thanksgiving!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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